AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION for AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION

Environment/Superfund ENV

Monitor issues related to the Endangered Species Act -- support efforts to review the law and improve it.

Contacted: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); Energy, Dept of; SENATE; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Executive Office of the President (EOP); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; White House Office; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Treasury, Dept of; Surface Transportation Board (STB); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS)

Railroads RRR

Support for removal of the antitrust exemptions for the railroads for the same reason -- S. 49. Also support efforts by Congress to urge the STB to review its policy on an acquisition premium for Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad, which would be charged to captive shippers. Support language included in the Senate-passed Farm Bill by Senator Klobuchar studying impacts of captive rail shipping on rural communities.

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Energy, Dept of; White House Office; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); SENATE; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Executive Office of the President (EOP); Treasury, Dept of; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Surface Transportation Board (STB); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Bills named: S. 49 (112th)

Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities FIN

Monitoring implementation of legislation, H.R. 4173 (known as the Frank-Dodd Wall Street Reform Act), regulating over-the-counter derivatives markets that our members use to hedge natural gas and electricity prices, to ensure that exemptions for end-users of energy from mandatory clearing are retained, and opposing final rule on swap dealers regarding special entities and the $25 million ceiling on their transactions -- testified to House Agriculture Committee to this effect. Also support more limited role in Dodd-Frank for non-profit end-users.

Contacted: SENATE; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Energy, Dept of; Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Executive Office of the President (EOP); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Treasury, Dept of; Surface Transportation Board (STB); White House Office; Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Bills named: H.R. 4173 (112th)

Utilities UTI

Expressing concerns about or opposition to markets issues related to regional transmission organizations, including western energy imbalance market; opposed cyber security legislation involving the electric utility sector in the Senate -- revised version of S. 3414; supported H.R. 4273 regarding emergency operation of power plants and Clean Air Act violations. Monitored issues related to electric vehicles, particularly regarding funding issues. Monitor Senator Klobuchar bill related to preventing copper theft. Monitor rulemakings related to transmission policy, including transmission incentive rates. Work to ensure small utilities that are defined as small businesses under SBREFA, get appropriate consideration under any pending and future EPA and FERC regulations. Interface with DOE and DHS on recovery and resilience in the event of major disaster, as recommended by the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee (NIAC).

Contacted: Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); White House Office; Surface Transportation Board (STB); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Treasury, Dept of; Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); Energy, Dept of; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Executive Office of the President (EOP)

Bills named: S. 3414 (112th), H.R. 4273 (112th)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

Support the continued use of tax-exempt financing for municipal/public power purposes, and oppose provisions, like those included in the Administration's FY 2013 budget proposal and S. 727, to tax municipal bonds. Monitor legislation on expiring energy tax provisions such as H.R. 8 and S. 3521.

Contacted: Executive Office of the President (EOP); Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); White House Office; Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); Surface Transportation Board (STB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); SENATE; Treasury, Dept of; Energy, Dept of; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS)

Bills named: S. 727 (112th), S. 3521 (112th), H.R. 8 (112th)

Telecommunications TEC

Monitor smart grid programs and their intersection with the telecommunications industry, and respond to requests for meetings and information on the subject to DOE. Support for the need to allow electric utilities to access spectrum for wireless; monitoring implementation of S. 911 at NTIA.

Contacted: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Treasury, Dept of; Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); White House Office; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Energy, Dept of; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Executive Office of the President (EOP); Surface Transportation Board (STB)

Bills named: S. 911 (112th)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Support for Power Marketing Administration funding and operation and maintenance of hydropower facilities at hydropower facilities at Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation dams. Opposition to taking the Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) to market-based as opposed to cost-based rates in any budget proposal. Opposition to DOE Secretary Chu memo of March 16, 2012, to drastically change the purpose of the PMAs from marketing federal hydropower to promoting non-hydro renewables. Opposition to eliminating tax-exempt financing in any budget proposal. Support for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Contacted: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Treasury, Dept of; Surface Transportation Board (STB); Executive Office of the President (EOP); Energy, Dept of; SENATE; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; White House Office; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Energy/Nuclear ENG

Support majority of bill encouraging energy efficiency, S. 1000. Monitor the Hydropower Improvement Act in the Senate, and support bills to ensure regulatory relief for small hydro facilities, such as H.R. 795, H.R. 2842, & H.R. 3680. Monitor Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and congressional response to Fukushima event in Japan and implications for existing and new nuclear power generation. Monitor issues involving the export of natural gas (liquefied natural gas or LNG).

Contacted: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Surface Transportation Board (STB); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Energy, Dept of; Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; White House Office; Executive Office of the President (EOP); SENATE; Treasury, Dept of; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Bills named: H.R. 3680 (112th), S. 1000 (112th), H.R. 795 (112th), H.R. 2842 (112th)

Clean Air and Water (quality) CAW

Support legislation to define parameters of EPA regulation of coal ash as a non-hazardous waste -- H.R. 1391, H.R. 2273 & S. 1751. Express concerns about regulation of cooling water intake structures (known as 316(b)) by EPA. Concern about air regulations on power plants being promulgated by EPA, including utility MACT (MATS), and support for the TRAIN Act to require multiple agencies to do cost-benefit analysis of EPA regs -- H.R. 2401. Monitoring possible revisions to EPA's final rule on reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE) -- EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0708. Monitoring EPA's proposed rule on New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) on greenhouse gas emissions on power plants. Continue to express concerns, particularly to FERC and EPA, about fuel switching from coal to natural gas and the operational implications therein.

Contacted: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); White House Office; Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Treasury, Dept of; Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); Energy, Dept of; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); SENATE; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Surface Transportation Board (STB); Executive Office of the President (EOP); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Bills named: S. 1751 (112th), H.R. 1391 (112th), H.R. 2401 (112th), H.R. 2273 (112th)